E prevm



A. E. PREVIT] Feb. 21, 1956 BILL DENOMINATION INDICATOR FOR CASH REGISTERS 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 17,

INVENTOR. ALFRED E, PREVITI BY FII3.2.

1956 A. E. PREVITI 2,736,011

BILL DENOMINATION INDICATOR FOR CASH REGISTERS Filed July 17, 1953 5 SheetsSheet 2 LCIO If) o J 6 u n J I I Il 0 E5 cu m 3 9 i, C- I ec-- ALFRED E. PREVITI Y ma/kw Feb. 21, 1956 A. E. PREVIT] 2,736,011

BILL DENOMINATION INDICATOR FOR CASH REGISTERS Filed July 17, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fl$5 L 2$2o P L 4$|o L P T5$| P L Test: P L

7$5 P L u $lo P L INVENTOR FIGQS. ALFRED E. PREVITI BYMW United States Patent BILL DENOMINATION INDICATOR FOR CASH REGISTERS Alfred E. Previti, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application July 17, 1953, Serial No. 368,710 3 Claims. (Cl. 340-223) This invention relates to an indicating arrangement and more particularly to an electrical indicating arrangement used in combination with conventional cash registers adapted to indicate the denomination of the last two bills deposited therein and the sequence in which said bills were received.

In commercial establishments utilizing cash registers, considerable diificulty is often encountered in giving change from bills of larger denomination when the customer asserts that the bill tendered was of greater value than recalled by the clerk. In order to obviate considerable embarrassment and loss in this respect, it is a common practise in such establishments for the clerk to deposit the bill received from the customer upon the shelf of the cash register and to tender the change to the custom prior to the depositing the bill within the appropriate Inn of the re ister drawer. This procedure has not been found to be entirely satisfactory, particularly in busy stores or similar places of business wherein customers follow each other at frequent intervals. A particularly significant difiiculty is encountered when the customer fails to make a complaint concerning the inadequacy of the change until after the next succeeding customer has been served at the register. Under these cir on ices the preceding customers bill has already seen deposited within the appropriate compartment of the cash register drawer and the clerk must rely upon his memory in order to determine the validity of the complaint. in the ensuing discussion the customer is invariably deemed to be right and the additional change is given, often resulting in loss to the store whether from honest mistake of the customer or fraudulent intent. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide indicating means which is adapted to be associated with a conventional cash register which will give a readily ascertainable indication of the It is an object of this invention to efficient and economical arrangement be associated with cash registers of whereby an indication is given of the denomination of the last bill received and deposited therein as well as the denomination of the bill immediately preceding it.

Other and further objects of this invention will become provide a simple, which is adapted to conventional design 2,736,011 Patented Feb. 21, 1956 Figure 4 is a view similar to in actuated position.

Figure 5 is a schematic electrical wiring diagram.

Figure 6 is a schematic electrical wiring diagram of the stepping switch arrangement.

Figure 7 shows a selector switch used in the system.

Figure 8 is a view showing the indications appearing on the face of the indicator as bills of various denominations are deposited in sequence, and

Figure 9 is a chart showing the same sequence of bills as in Figure 8 and the condition of the various banks of indicators associated therewith.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the indicator, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated herein and is desig- Figure 3 showing a switch 11 of the indicator facing the clerk is provided with three transparent panels 13, 14 and 15 which are disposed in a circle. Said panels represent banks of indicating lights A, B and C respectively as will more clearly after and each panel is divided into four segments by means on a suitable numeral to indicate the denomination of the bill which has been deposited within the register with which the indicator is associated. Thus panel 13 is divided into four segments bearing the numerals l, 5, 10 and 20 to indicate a $1.00 bill, a $5.00 bill, a $10.00 bill and a $20.00 bill respectively. An electric illuminating lamp is positioned within each of the segments behind the panel so that when a particular lamp is illuminated it will consequently illuminate the portion of the transparent panel in front of it and thus give a visual indication of the denomination of the bill deposited within the register. The face of housing 10 facing the customer is provided with a face plate which in all respects duplicates the face plate facing the clerk the lamps being wired in parallel with the aforementioned lamps so that both parties to the transaction are enabled to read the indicator.

indicates a series of transactions T1 to T9 and column II indicates the corresponding bills which are deposited in the course of each of said transactions. Thus, for example, in the first transaction T1 a $5.00 bill is deposited and results in the bill is deposited, the numeral $1 is illuminated in panel 15 or bank C and the $5 numeral becomes extinguished in bank A while the S20 numeral bank C continues illuminated showing a previous $1.00

deposit. Again reading counterclockwise from the nonilluminated bank B it appears from the indicator that the last bill to be deposited was a $10.00 bill and the bill preceding it was a $1.00 bill. The indicator will continue to operate in this manner showing the deposit of the last two bills within the register and also indicating the se quence in which said bills were deposited. The sequence of illumination of various banks of lights is set forth in chart form in columns A, B and C which corresponded to the respective banks of lights the letter L indicating that the bank will be illuminated to indicate the last bill deposited and the letter P indicating the illumination of the appropriate light in the bank to indicate the preceding deposit.

The register The register may be of substantially conventional design and is provided with a cash drawer 17 having a plurality of compartments 18 each of which is adapted to receive a bill of a particular denomination as denoted by the markings thereon. Each compartment is provided with a hold-down finger 19 which may be a V-shaped wire which is resiliently biased toward the bottom wall of the compartment. The base portion of each of the fingers is pivotally secured to the walls of the compartment as by means of a transverse bar 20. When it is desired to deposit a bill within a compartment the hold-down finger of the compartment corresponding to the denomination of the bill is raised permitting the bill to be placed therein. The finger is then lowered, clamping the entire pile. The indicator is adapted to be operated by the actuation of a switch associated with each of said compartments.

The switch arrangement associated with each of holddown fingers 19 is more particularly illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. Each hold-down finger 19 is pivotally secured at the rear of the compartment by means of a transverse pivot bar 20 secured to the base thereof. Pivot bar 20 is provided with a cam surface 21 which bears against the cooperative follower 22 of plunger 23 which is reciprocably mounted within the opening of the back wall 24 of the cash register compartments. Plunger 23 is resiliently urged toward cam surface 21 by means of spring 25. The distal end of plunger 23 bears against one spring leaf 27 A of switch 26 which is electrically connected to the indicator circuit as will more clearly appear hereafter. As shown in Figure 4 when hold-down finger 19 is raised the cam surface 21' on pivot bar 20 bears against follower 22 of plunger 23 thereby forcing the distal end 29 of said plunger against leaf 27 of switch 26 and forcing the contact point on said switch to make electrical contact with the contact point on switch leaf 28 thereby completing a an electrical circuit through said switch circuit. The

hold-down finger is thus retained in raised position. When the hold-down finger is lowered, the plunger is returned to its normal position by means of resilient action of the spring thereby permitting the switch leaves to resume their normal positions and thus breaking the continuity of the electrical path therebetween. It will thus be seen that when a bill is deposited within one of the compartments of the cash register drawer the switch associated therewith is automatically closed as a result of the raising of the hold-down finger thereby creating electrically continuous path for the purpose of actuating the indicator as will be more clearly seen hereafter. The switches actuated by the hold-down fingers are indicated in the schematic diagram in Figure 6 by the numerals S1, S5, S and S20 respectively and these numerals corresponding to the denomination of the bills deposited in each individual compartment of the register drawer.

In its general outline the circuit arrangement whereby the various denomination indicating means are actuated is comprised of 3 banks of four indicator relays, each bank having one relay corresponding to each of the denominations of the bills to be identified. The circuit arrangement of each of the banks is identical. When the appropriate hold-down finger is raised to deposit a bill in a particular compartment of the register drawer, a switch circuit is automatically closed energizing one of the relays of one of the banks. The relay energized corresponds to the particular denomination to be indicated. The energization of the relay sets up a hold-down circuit which looks it in energized condition, simultaneously illuminating its associated indicating lamp. A selector switch arrangement is actuated with the lowering of the hold-down finger causing the circuits of the hold-down fingers to be transferred to the next bank of relays.

The operation is repeated with the actuation of the hold-down switch upon the deposit of the second bill. As such second bill is deposited, the corresponding relay and indicating lamp is energized in the second bank and automatically locked in hold-down condition. The selector switch then transfers the hold-down finger switch circuits to the third bank of relays. A similar operation occurs on the third deposit with the additional operation performed by the selector switch of releasing the energized relay of the first bank from its held-down condition thereby blanking the corresponding first bank of indicators. Similarly the fourth deposit actuates the corresponding denomination of this first bank and de-energizes the held-down relay in the second bank. Thus the cycle continues whereby a bank is successively blanked out as a relay within the selected bank is energized. The blanked bank serves to permit the indicator to be read so that the last bill deposited may be readily identified by reading counterclockwise from said blank bank.

The circuit operation of the indicating device will now be described in more detail. The circuit is comprised of a source of current, three banks of four relays each for operating the respective indicating lamps, a selector switch arrangement for selecting the bank of relays to be subject to operation upon the deposit of the next bill within the register drawer. Said selector switch simultaneously releasing the preceding bank, but one, from its hold-down condition. The circuit also includes a group of denomination switches mechanically coupled to the holddown fingers of the compartments of the register drawer.

The device comprising the present invention may be actuated by any suitable source of current as is well known to those skilled in the art. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention a battery 30 is shown as a source of power. The battery may be of any suitable rating corresponding to the requirements of the particular relays and illuminating lamps employed. Thus for example a six volt storage battery may be employed for this purpose. The negative pole 31 of the battery indicated as grounded connects with the other circuit elements at points where a similar ground indication is employed. The positive pole 32 is connected as indicated in Figure 5.

As heretofore indicated the particular bank of relays subject to operation is determined by a selector switch, the circuit arrangement of which is shown in Figures 6 and 7. The selector switch is comprised of four stationary commutator discs 33, 34, 35 and 36 which are similarly arranged. Each of said discs is provided with three conductive commutator segments 47 which are indicated by the dark areas and are insulated from one another as indicated by the blank areas. Each of the commutator segments has permanently connected to it a conductor leading to a relay in one of the banks shown in Figure 5. The conductors are labeled A, B or C to indicate the corresponding bank of relays to which they lead and an additional numeral 1, 5, 10 or 20 to indicate the corresponding denomination of the relay and lamp within the bank to which they are connected.

Each of the commutator discs 33, 34, 35 and 36 has associated with it a rotatable crush 37, 33, 39 and 40 which make electrical contact with a selected commutator segment. The brushes are mounted in a common shaft 41 for rotation therewith. As indicated by the broken lines leading from each brush, each of said brushes is continuously connected to a corresponding denomination switch S1, S5, 810, and S20 located within the register drawer.

An additional commutator disc 42 is mounted on shaft 41 for rotation therewith. Commutator disc 42 is provided with a conductive segment 43 which makes electrical contact with brushes connected with conductors AN, BN and CN at the points indicated forming continuations of the conductors correspondingly labeled in Figure 5. Segment 43 is grounded by means of contact with brushes 44 and it will be noted that the conductive segment is interrupted as indicated at 45. As will more clearly appear hereafter the purpose of said commutator is to provide a ground return for the holding circuit of the demonination relays as well as to break said ground return and thus release the hold-down circuit of each bank of relays in sequence as the blank portion 45 of said disc 42 passes the brush leading to the banks of relays. The common shaft 41 of the selector switch is rotated by means of a stepping or ratchet arrangement designated generally by the numeral 46 which is comprised of an electromagnetic coil 48, one end of which is grounded. Armature 49 is normally biased away from the electromagnet by means of spring 50 so that when the electromagnet is energized armature 49 which pivots on point 51 is drawn thereto thereby carrying pawl 52 with it. Upon the de-energization of electromagnet 48 spring 50 causes the armature to return to its original position thereby causing pawl 52 to bear against ratchet wheel 53. Ratchet wheel 53 is mounted on shaft 41 for rotation therewith and carries brushes 37, 38, 39 and 40 as well as disc 42 so that each of said brushes as well as disc 42 is caused to progress one step forward in a clockwise direction. In the illustrated form of the invention, since three banks of indicators are utilized, the ratchet wheel is shown with three teeth and each brush as well as disc 42 is therefore caused to rotate 120 upon the de-energization of electromagnet 48. It will be understood, however, that the same arrangement can be achieved by stepping relays or ratchet arrangements wherein smaller stepping angles are utilized, provided that the commutators are rearranged accordingly. In operation the position of the selector switch determines the appropriate bank of indicating lights which is subject to be operated by means of the closure of any individual hold-down operated denomination switch. Thus, upon the deposit of a $5.00 bill switch S is closed as the hold-down finger of the $5.00 compartment is raised, a continuous circuit is thus established between the groundcd end of coil 43 through denomination switch S5, brush 3% with commutator disc 34 thence through conductor A5 which connects with line A5 in bank A of the relay circuit shown in Figure 5. As will be more particularly pointed out in the description of the circuit shown in Figure 5, the circuit is completed through the appropriate relay in bank A of relays which is in series with coil 48 of the selector switch. The appropriate indicator lamp is thus illuminated and a hold-down circuit for the relay established. When the bill has been deposited in the compartment of the register drawer, the hold-down finger is lowered thereby breaking the contact in switch S5 and releasing armature 49 which is returned to its normal position by means of spring 50. Armature 49 moves pawl 52 which bears against the ratchet wheel and causes it to rotate one step. Shaft 41 carrying brushes 37, 38, 39 and 40 causes them to progress one step and said brushes move into contact with the commutator segments connected to conductors B1, B5, B and B respectively. In this manner the B bank of relays is selected and the next operation or" any denomination switch will energize a relay in the B bank. The selector switch will thereafter progress to the C bank and continue to select the banks in sequence.

It should be noted that when the selector switch 6 brushes progress from the A commutator segments to the B segments, commutator disc 42 is also rotated by shaft 41. This action causes the blank portion thereof to pass the brush connected to conductor B providing a negative return for the B bank of relays. The negative return is thus momentarily broken and reestablished thereby releasing any relay in bank B which may be in holddown condition and placing said bank in condition to receive the next denomination signal. In this manner all of the relays in the respective banks are released and the banks progressively cleared.

Figure 5 illustrates the indicator relay and lamp circuits schematically. The circuit is comprised of three banks of relays designated A, B andC associated with three banks of indicating lamps similarly designated positioned within panels 13, 14 and 15 of the indicator hous- The wiring arrangement of the three banks of relays and indicator lamps are similar and only one bank will therefore be described in detail. To facilitate identification of the parts the relays are numbered with the prefix to indicate the bank with which of relays RAl, RAS, RAM and RAZO which are associated with indicator lamps LAI, LAS, LA10 and LA20 respectively.

All of the relays are similar in construction and operation, and may be of conventional design. Thus for example relay RBZi) is comprised of a coil 54 which is adapted to be energized upon the application of a suitable voltage thereto. Upon energization of coil 54 the relay armature is drawn thereto thereby moving contact arm 55 towards said coil. The relay contacts are arranged so as to make before break. in this arrangement one contact circuit is normally closed while another is normally open. Upon energization of the coil the normally open contact circuit closes or makes" and thereupon the closed circuit is opened or breaks. Thus contacts 56 and 57 are normally closed whereas contacts 55 and 56 are normally open. When the relay is energized contact 55' is drawn toward the coil and closes with contact 56. Upon the further travel of contact 55 toward the coil contact between 56 and 57 is broken.

The relay circuit will now be described in more detail with respect to bank A. The lower terminal of the coils of each of relays RA20, RAN, RAS and RAl are connected to the positive terminal of the potential source through conductor 58. The upper terminal of each of said relay coils being permanently connected to contacts 63, 64, 65 and 66 respectively through conductors 59, 60, 61 and 62 in that order.

return through a conductor connecting these points and conductor AN is permanently conductor similarly designated in Figure 7 and thereby provides a common negative return for the control of the hold-down circuit of the entire bank A through commutator disc 42. Conductors designated A20, A10, A5 and A1 are respectively connected to contacts '71, 72, 73 and 74 and interconnect with the similarly designated conductors shown in Figure 6 thereby connecting the relay bank to the selector switch arrangement. The circuit arrangement of banks B and C is identical with that of bank A.

The operation of the indicating device when a series of bills of varying denominations are deposited in the sequence indicated on the chart of Figure 9, is as follows. When the operation of the device is initiated all of the relays are open as indicated in Figure 5 and the selector switch is in the position indicated in Figures 6 and 7.

interconnected with the Thus bank A is in selected position and a relay in that bank only will respond to the actuation of any one of switches'Sl to S4 inclusive.

. Upon the deposit of a bill in the appropriate compartment of the register drawer switch S5 is closed by the raising of the hold-down finger within that particular compartment. A continuous circuit is thus set up from the ground line through coil 48, switch S5, brush 38 and the commutator segment in switch disc 34 to conductor A5. The circuit continues through conductor A5 as shown in Figure 5 to contact 73 on relay RAS thence to contact 65', to conductor 61 connecting with the upper terminal of the coil of said relay, through the coil to conductor 58 and thence to the positive terminal of the battery. In this manner the coil of the selector switch is energized in series with the coil of relay RAS. The selector switch pawl 52 is thus cocked and the contacts on relay RA' actuated. Contact 69 thus makes electrical contact with contact 65 thereby additionally grounding the upper terminal of the coil'of said relay through conductor 61 and conductor AN to disc 42 and ground as shown in Figure 7. A hold-down circuit is thus established for the relay. Indicator lamp LAS is simultaneously lit through the grounding action of contacts 65 and 69 and conductor 77. Thereafter the further movement of contact arm 69 toward the relay coil breaks the electrical contact between 65 and 73. Relay RAE continues in energized condition by reason of the hold-down circuit so established. The breaking of the contact between 63 and 65 opens the circuit of the selector switch thereby releasing pawl 52 and causes the rotatable brushes to progress one step thereby connecting switches S1 through S4 to the conductors leading to the B bank of relays. it should be noted that commutator disc 42 will have similarly progressed one step causing the blank portion thereof to open the ground circuit to the B bank of relays through conductor BN to be opened momentarily. This will however have no efiect at this stage since all of the relays of the B bank were open initially. The $5 indicator as shown at T1 in Figure 8 will thus be illuminated. The circuit will not be effected and the indicator will continue in illuminated condition after the completion of the deposit of the $5 bill by the return of the hold-down finger to its normal position in the compartment of the register drawer by reason of the hold-down circuit which has been established as heretofore described.

Upon the next transaction which involves a $20 bill a similar circuit is established in bank B actuating relay R1320 and indicator lamp LBZii to give the indication shown at T2 of Figure 8. The selector switch is thereby advanced to the C group of contacts and the blank portion of disc 42 momentarily passes point CN as shown in Figure 7. The indicator at T2 of Figure 8 is read counterclockwise from the blanked panel and thus shows that the last bill deposited was a $20 bill and that the deposit preceding it was of a $5 bill. The circuit is as follows from ground through the selector switch coil, switch S20 brush 40 and disc 36, conductor B26, contact 57, contact 56, conductor 79, coil of relay RBZtl conductor 58 to the positive terminal of the battery. Contact between 56 and 57 is broken after contact between 55 and 56 is established thereby closing the hold-down circuit from ground of Figure 7 through disc 42 and conductor BN through said contacts 55 and 56 to the coil of R320 as well as to indicating lamp LBZti through conductor Sal.

The third transaction involves the deposit of a $1 bill, and a similar circuit is established in bank C actuating relay RC1 and indicator lamp LCl and simultaneously extinguishing the previous $5 indication given by LAS in bank A. The selector switch is advanced to the A group of contacts and the blank portion of disc 42 momentarily passes point AN as shown in Figure 7. As the blank portion of said disc passes point AN it opens the ground circuit to said conductor momentarily thereby releasing relay RAS from its held-down condition. Any relay which may have been in held-down condition is thus released and the entire panel of lamps in group A is extinguished. The indicator therefore appears as shown at T3 in Figure 8 indicating when read counterclockwise from the blank A panel that the last bill to have been deposited was a $1 bill and the bill preceding it was a $20 bill. Since the selector switch again progresses one step and makes contact with the conductors on the A bank of relays the next bill to be deposited will be indicated upon the A panel of lights and the B group will be released and extinguished, as shown at T4 in Figure 8. For all subsequent deposits the device operates in like manner. Although the arrangement herein disclosed has been directed to the indication of the deposit of the last two bills and their sequence, it will be understood that additional denominations may be indicated by the addition of relays and indicating lamps to each bank to correspond to said denominations and that the number of preceding bills indicated in this sequential manner may be increased by the addition of banks of relays to the circuit as desired.

1 have here shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention. It will be apparent, however, that this invention is not limited to this embodiment, and that many changes, additions and modifications can be made in connection therewith without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

Having described my invention, what i claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. in combination, a cash re ister having a cash drawer, said drawer being divided into a plurality of currency receiving compartments and having a hold-down finger disposed in each of said compartments, electrical switching means associated with each of said hold-down fingers adapted to be closed upon the lifting of said hold-down finger, a plurality of electromagnets having the electric circuit thereof in series with the switching means, each of which is adapted to be energized respectively upon closing of one of the switching means associated with each currency receiving compartment, each of said electromagnets being associated with a magnetically respon sive normally open switch, electrically responsive indicator means in circuit with each of said switches, said switches being arranged in banks, each of said banks including a switch associated with each of said drawer compartments each of said normally open switches being adapted upon being closed to energize one of said indicator means and to create a holding circuit for said electromagnet and means to maintain said hold-down circuit in energized condition during the succeeding lifting of a hold-down finger within a compartment of said drawer, said means including a selector switch in series with said switching means for selecting the bank of switch means subject to operation and adapted to maintain said holding circuit in energized condition during the next succeeding lifting of a hold-down finger in one of said compartments and to temporari y interrupt the circuit of said energized circuit upon the subsequent lifting of a hold-down finger to thereby deenergize said first energized switching means,

' thus releasing it from its hold-down condition.

2. in combination, a cash register having a cash drawer, said drawer being divided into a plurality of currency receiving compartments and having a. hold-down finger disposed in each of said compartments, electrical switching means associated with each of said hold-down fingers adapted to be closed upon the lifting of said hold-down finger, a plurality of electromagnets having the selectric circuit thereof in series with the switching means, each of which is adapted to be energized respectively upon closing of one or" the switching means associated with each currency receiving compartment, each of said electromagnets being provided with a magnetically responsive normally open switch, electrically responsive indicator means in circuit with each of said switches, said switches being arranged in banks, each of said banks including a switch associated with each of said drawer compartments, each of said normally open switches being adapted upon being closed to energize one of said indicator means, means for selecting a single bank of switches to be subject to operation upon lifting of one of said hold-down fingers.

3. In combination, a cash register having a cash drawer, said drawer being divided into a plurality of currency receiving compartments and having a hold-down finger disposed in each of said compartments, electrical switching means associated with each of said hold-down fingers adapted to be closed upon the lifting of said hold-down finger, a plurality of electromagnets having the electric circuit thereof in series with the switching means, each of which is adapted to be energized respectively upon closing of one of the switching means associated with each currency receiving compartment, each of said electromagnets being provided with a magnetically responsive normally open switch and a hold down circuit, electrically responsive indicator means in circuit with each of said switches, said switches being arranged in banks said means including a selector switch in circuit with said banks of switches adapted to progressively select a single bank of switches to be subject to energization upon the lifting of a hold-down finger and to second simultaneously deenergize the hold-down circuit of the second preceding bank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

